[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in Utah in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, UT Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Utah Registered Agent.co. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Utah. Anything unusual out there? Dan: One thing. Swapping agents is a $17 statement of change, and a new agent written on your annual renewal counts as that statement too. [0:33] How Utah sorts its agents Maya: So who is allowed to be an agent? Dan: Utah has two kinds. A commercial registered agent is someone listed with the Division of Corporations. A noncommercial agent can be a person, a company, or even a position inside your LLC, like its manager. Maya: A position? Not a person? Dan: The filing can name the title of an office plus a mailing address. It's an unusual option, and the Division still needs a Utah street address on file. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Good to be here, Maya. Let's get into the five. [1:07] Mainstay Filing Maya: Who's first? Dan: Mainstay Filing. $149 a year, and still $149 when it renews. Maya: What's in that? Dan: Mainstay's Utah address goes on the public record instead of yours. Anything served on your company is scanned and uploaded the same business day, and that costs nothing extra. Your first three government mailings each year are scanned free too. Maya: I already have an agent. Then what? Dan: Mainstay files the statement of change for you. You pay the $17 state fee, at cost. Maya: And the catch? Dan: Two services on this list charge $99, so Mainstay is not the lowest sticker price. [1:50] Northwest Registered Agent Maya: Number two? Dan: Northwest Registered Agent at $125 a year. Its page says the price hasn't gone up in 20 years, and it scans up to 10 pieces of business mail a year for free. Maya: What should I watch for? Dan: Signing up enrolls you automatically in its annual report filing service. That's $100 plus state fees for each filing, until you cancel. Maya: What does Utah charge for the renewal itself? Dan: $18. So that add-on would multiply the state's cost by more than six. [2:24] UT Registered Agent.org Maya: Three? Dan: UT Registered Agent.org, $99 a year and the same at renewal. You get the address on your filings, same-day scanning of legal mail, and reminders ahead of state deadlines. Maya: Is switching expensive? Dan: Only the $17 state fee. Maya: And the downside? Dan: Annual report filing is a separate service. Maya: How does it compare to number one? Dan: It's $50 a year less than Mainstay. Over two years, $100. [2:54] Bizee Maya: Four? Dan: Bizee, formerly Incfile. The first year is free with any formation package, then it's $149 a year. Maya: Fine print? Dan: You need a formation order to get the free year, and the $149 renewal happens automatically. Maya: What if my Utah LLC already exists? Dan: Then you start at $149. Three years comes to $447. [3:23] Utah Registered Agent.co Maya: And five? Dan: Utah Registered Agent.co. A flat $99 a year. It gives you the address used on your filings, same-day legal mail scanning, and compliance reminders. Maya: How's it different from number three? Dan: Price and catch are the same. Annual report filing is a separate service. [3:41] Putting the agent on the filing Maya: Where does Utah ask for the agent? Dan: On the Certificate of Organization. That's a $59 online filing in the Business Registration System, and you sign in with a UtahID. Maya: What address do they want? Dan: A Utah street address, plus a Utah mailing address if it's different. A P O box can ride along as the mailing address, but it can't replace the street address. Maya: Is there an age rule, or a residency rule? Dan: Not in the statute. And no required office hours either. Maya: What about the agent saying yes? Dan: Naming an agent is your affirmation that the agent agreed to serve. Nobody files a signature. [4:22] Changing the agent Maya: What's the process to change? Dan: A statement of change, signed for the LLC, naming the new agent. Online, you use your UtahID and the entity number. On paper, it's the Registration Information Change Form. Maya: What's the fee? Dan: $17 either way, and it's nonrefundable. Maya: Do the members vote on it? Dan: No. The statute doesn't require their approval. Maya: You said the annual renewal can do it too? Dan: Yes. If your renewal lists a different agent than the Division has, Utah treats the difference as a statement of change. Maya: So I could skip the separate filing. Dan: You could. A separate statement of change is the direct way to do it. [5:02] What your agent handles Maya: What does an agent actually do day to day? Dan: Anyone suing your LLC can serve the agent. Then the agent has to forward the papers to the address you most recently gave it. Maya: So two addresses matter. Dan: Right. The agent's, where papers land, and yours, where they go next. If yours is stale, a lawsuit can move while the summons sits somewhere you never look. Maya: Is any of this private? Dan: The Division's forms say registration information is a public record. Your agent's address is searchable by anyone. [5:36] If your agent resigns Maya: What if my agent quits? Dan: It files a statement of resignation with the Division. The schedule lists no fee for it. Maya: When does it take effect? Dan: At 12:01 a.m. on the 31st day after filing, or sooner if you name a replacement. Maya: Will I hear about it? Dan: The agent has to promptly tell you the date it filed. Treat that as your countdown. Maya: And if I miss it? Dan: Then no agent is on record. A plaintiff can mail the suit to your principal office, by registered or certified mail with a return receipt. [6:06] Dissolution and the renewal Maya: Does that put the LLC at risk? Dan: After 60 consecutive days without an agent, the Division has grounds to dissolve the company. It sends notice first, and then you have up to 60 days to fix it. Maya: What about the yearly paperwork? Dan: Utah calls it the annual renewal. It's $18, due by the last day of your formation month. Maya: Can I file early? Dan: Up to 60 days early. A $10 late fee applies after that. Maya: And it repeats the agent. Dan: Yes, the renewal includes the registered agent information. So update the agent first, then renew. [6:43] Being your own agent Maya: Can I serve as my own agent in Utah? Dan: Yes, as a noncommercial agent, if you have a Utah street address. Maya: Should I? Dan: Think about what's public. The address on file shows up in a database, and it's where a process server turns up, whether you're home or out on a job. Maya: So the cost isn't money. Dan: It's being reachable at that address every business day, with no gaps. [7:07] Choosing Maya: How would a Salt Lake City or St. George owner decide? Dan: Three questions. Does the price hold at renewal, is the address a real Utah street address, and who files the change. Maya: What does the price gap add up to over three years? Dan: Mainstay is $447 and a $99 service is $297. That's $150 apart, for the three free scanned government mailings a year and the change filed for you. Maya: Your answer? Dan: Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Utah, at $149 a year. [7:46] The five in a row Maya: Run me through all five once more. Dan: One, Mainstay Filing: $149, the same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. Three, UT Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Utah Registered Agent.co: $99 flat. Maya: The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.